Hi Robert,
The parts manual for the Turbo Arrow III (I don’t yet have the IV manual) shows that Piper installed thicker windows on some IIIs; I’m going to assume that it’s true for your IV. I spoke with one of the customer service agents at Great Lakes Aero (www.glapinc.com) who told me that the thicker windows (and additional insulation) were part of a factory option called Super Sound Proofing.
One way to determine if your Arrow has the thicker windows installed is to remove the outside air temperature (OAT) probe from the front windshield to measure the thickness of that window. The Super Sound Proofing option should also be listed in the aircraft documents.
If the thickness is 1/8 inch (0.125″) your airplane has the normal windows; if it’s 1/4 inch (0.250″) you have the soundproofing package.
Great Lakes aero products is a Piper Flyer advertiser; it offers a very wide range of window options. Both thickness options for not only the windshield but for all the side windows too.
It also offers a very wide option of colors and what it called its Solar Control (SC) windows.
Colors in the non-SC windows include clear, green and gray.
SC window colors include green and gray.
SC windows block UVA and UVB radiation; this is said to lower interior temperatures 10-20 degrees F.
Great Lakes will send samples of its different colors–just ask.
You can find out more about the benefits of the SC offerings by accessing the FAQ:https://www.glapinc.com/Corporate/faq.html.
If you want to put in a one piece windshield the STC for that change is held by LP Aero Plastics (www.lpaero.com). However, you will not have a clear view because the STC requires the installation of a brace in place of the center divider presently in your airplane.
It appears that you will also have to buy some collars from Piper to install the thicker windshield parts as the ones for the 1/8 inch window will not work on the 1/4 inch windows. The two parts are called collars; they are the parts that hold the bottom on the windshield halves in place at the lower front position. The part numbers are 79296-20 and -21. I did find some used ones online.
I’m not absolutely sure my last statement is true in all instances; the parts book calls for different collars when installing the .250 windows, but the write up at LP Aero for its one piece windshield installation (https://lpaero.com/stc-piper-1/) seems to indicate that new collars are not needed.
Please let me know if I can help further, or if you want more information.
Steve
